Shameful Shunting
by EndlessWire94
Summary: Duke doesn't hold with engines fly-shunting; but will a near accident change his mind?
**Shameful Shunting**

* * *

 **Hi everyone! It's been awhile, hasn't it? This is probably one of the only stories you'll be seeing from me for some time, as I'll mostly be working over the summer. Anyway, enjoy! Special thanks to tate310 for helping me with ideas for the plot!**

 **I do not own Thomas.**

* * *

Duke is one of the oldest and grandest engines on the Skarloey Railway. He was named in honour of the first Earl of Sodor, Sir John Arnold Norramby, and is keen to be true to his title. Duke is a rather pedantic engine, who likes everything to be "just so". This can make him resistant to change or new ways of doing things. Nevertheless, he means well and is very kind to the younger engines, many of whom call him "Granpuff".

* * *

One spring morning, Duke was at the depot being polished, when Luke and Ivo Hugh pulled up alongside him. "Hello, Granpuff!" whistled Luke. "You look cheerful!"

Duke smiled grandly. "I have good reason to, Luke," he replied. "The railway's being inspected today, and the Thin Controller has selected me to take him and the inspector up and down the line."

"That sounds like fun!" bubbled Ivo Hugh enthusiastically.

 _"Fun?!"_ repeated Duke, frowning indignantly. "This is no lighthearted matter, my lad: everything must be checked down to the very last detail! One small error could mean a bad report, or even worse, a dreadful accident! That would never suit His Grace!"

Ivo Hugh blushed and looked at his buffers. "Sorry, Granpuff," he mumbled. "I was just happy for you; that's all."

"Ho-hum," Duke sighed, softening his tone. "Never mind then, Ivo Hugh; all is forgiven."

Luke and Ivo Hugh exchanged solemn looks: it wasn't always easy to talk to someone as grand or as strict as Duke. "Erm, well," Luke ventured after an awkward pause, "we'd best be getting up to the quarry. We wouldn't want to keep Owen and Merrick waiting; would we?"

"Indeed not, young'un," agreed Duke. "On your way now - we can talk later."

"Righto then!" chuffed Ivo Hugh, and the two young engines bustled off. Duke watched them go, chuckling fondly and thinking of his own youth. His reminiscing was rudely interrupted by a loud bang: he looked up, startled, to see a pair of trucks go slamming into three more. A moment later, Duncan came snorting up behind them. "Heavens above!" Duke exclaimed. "What in Stephenson's name do you think you're doing?!"

"What's it look like I'm doin', old timer?!" Duncan grunted. "I'm shuntin'! What of it?!"

Duke eyed the yellow well-tank disgustedly. "Correction: you're fly-shunting!" he huffed. "Don't you know how dangerous that can be?!"

"Bah!" scoffed Duncan. "I know what I'm doin'! The sooner I get these rotten trucks in line, the sooner I can have a rest! I don't need some old codger like you to tell me how to shunt!" Grumbling under his breath, he went back to work, bumping trucks and shooting them off into the sidings.

"Impudent scallywag!" hissed Duke.

* * *

Before long, Duke had collected a special saloon coach, picked up the Thin Controller and the inspector from Crovan's Gate Station, and set off up the line. They stopped at every station, where the inspector got out to observe the goings-on and take notes. "So far, so good," he told the Thin Controller. "Just be sure to attend to those faulty points at Quarry Siding."

Finally, they reached the Blue Mountain Quarry. Duke stopped before the turntable, while the Thin Controller showed the inspector around. Suddenly, there was a loud bang: Duke cried out in shock as a row of tipper wagons clattered across the table in front of him, coming to a rough and noisy stop against some more in their path. Then Luke rolled up. "Hello again, Granpuff!" he chirruped.

Duke didn't respond as jovially. "Oh Luke; not you too!" he groaned. "I should think a gentle soul like you would know better than to partake in such shameful shunting! You could seriously hurt someone with that sort of tomfoolery!"

Luke looked puzzled. "But we've got a big order to fill today," he protested. "We need to work fast if we want to get it shipped by sundown, and fly-shunting saves time and energy. Besides," he went on cheerfully, "lots of engines do it, and it can be quite fun!"

"Well," snorted Duke, "if you ask me, there's nothing fun about something that could get you blown sky-high! Some of the miners back on the Mid Sodor Railway almost lost their lives thanks to fly-shunting!"

"Ooh, Granpuff!" gasped Luke. "Whatever happened?"

"Well, my dear boy," Duke sighed grimly...

* * *

"Manager had assigned Stanley, our No. 2, to deliver empty trucks to the mine at Cas-ny-Hawin. Being a disagreeable, rebellious engine, Stanley was not the least bit pleased with this task, and was anxious to get it over and done with. As soon as he reached the mine, he shoved the trucks into the nearest siding.

"But disaster was about strike: that siding had a fully-loaded gunpowder van at the end of it! The trucks hurtled into it with predictable results. Three miners fleeing for safety were caught in that blast - they weren't killed, but they did have to spend a considerable period of time in hospital. Manager was not pleased with Stanley in the slightest, and confined him to the back of the shed for an entire month."

* * *

Luke goggled in disbelief. Duke acknowledged him with a dignified glower. "I trust you'll think twice from now on before shunting in that reckless fashion."

"But," said Luke cautiously, "that only happened because of the gunpowder van. I'd never fly-shunt trucks into gunpowder vans, even if they happened to be empty!"

"That's as may be," Duke countered, "but suppose all that bumping upset some of the cargo? What then, eh?"

Before Luke could reply, the Thin Controller and the inspector arrived back. "Alright, Duke," the Thin Controller said. "We'd best be getting back to Crovan's Gate now, if you'll kindly take us."

"Right you are, Sir," Duke replied. He puffed onto the turntable, and was being turned around when he saw Ivo Hugh shoot more trucks along a nearby track. Duke winced as they clanked to a stop against some buffers, then growled under his breath. "Ignorant young fools!" he muttered. "They'll learn one day - make no mistake about that!" He hooshed crossly away.

* * *

As Duke passed through the depot, he saw Duncan arranging more trucks: true to his "rock 'n' roll" nature, the cantankerous Scottish engine was still fly-shunting. As Duke watched, Duncan biffed some coal trucks hard - too hard. They hurtled into a pair of buffers and tipped over, right onto Duke's track. Duke's driver braked as hard as he dared, and the old engine ground to a halt just inches from striking the derailed trucks and their upset cargo.

The Thin Controller and the inspector were both badly shaken, and very cross. "What on Earth do you think you're playing at, Duncan?!" scolded the Thin Controller. "You could have landed one of us in the emergency room!"

"Indeed," agreed the inspector. "And I'm afraid, Mr. Percival, that careless engine of yours cost you a good report - average at least, but not good. If I were you, I'd keep him in the shed for a day or so."

"I most certainly will," replied the Thin Controller. "Perhaps that'll teach you to take shunting duties more seriously!"

As Duncan reversed glumly into the shed, Duke glared at him furiously. "I knew no good could come of your stupid fly-shunting!" he grimaced. "But you just wouldn't listen; would you?!"

"Ach, who asked you, ya old fusspot?!" snarled Duncan defensively; but he fell silent following an even sterner look from the Thin Controller.

* * *

Next afternoon, Duke was taking some passengers up the line. He rumbled through Quarry Siding, jolting violently as he passed over the faulty points. "Goodness gracious me!" he remarked. "Rusty and Mr. Hugh haven't seen to that bit yet - I'll have to ask the Thin Controller to remind them."

Suddenly, just as his brakevan had cleared the loop, Duke heard frantic whistling. He looked ahead to see Ivo Hugh racing toward him. "Out of the way, Granpuff!" he cried. "There's an emergency: Luke's brakes have failed and his trucks are dragging him down the line! If you go any further, we'll _all_ be wrecked!"

Ivo Hugh was right: barely a moment later, a long line of slate trucks came careering around the bend, dragging Luke, whistling fit to burst, behind them. **"HELP!"** wailed Luke.

Duke tried to reverse, but he couldn't do so very quickly with his heavy coaches behind him. Luckily, Ivo Hugh knew what to do. The strong red engine charged toward Duke at full steam and gave him a sharp bump, sending the old engine and his train flying backwards into Quarry Siding. "Impudent scallywag!" snapped Duke indignantly. "What in Stephenson's name did you do _that_ for?!"

"To save your funnel, Granpuff!" Ivo Hugh replied firmly. He then reversed with all his might toward Luke and his train. Shutting his eyes in horror, Duke heard a loud bang, followed by an even louder screeching.

Finally, the screeching stopped. Duke cracked his eyes open, and looked back to see that Ivo Hugh had stopped Luke and the trucks just inches past Quarry Siding. Duke gave a hearty blast on his whistle. "Well done, Ivo Hugh my lad!" he shouted happily. "You saved us all! You're as gallant as our own Rheneas!" Then he fell silent, thinking pensively: Ivo Hugh had used fly-shunting to save him, a practice which Duke had thought wasn't any good. Yet, had Ivo Hugh not used it at that moment, Duke, along with his two younger colleagues, would have been severely damaged, and many of his passengers badly hurt.

Duke was snapped out of his musings by the trill of his guard's whistle. He tooted back, and continued his journey up the line, while Ivo Hugh helped Luke to the Steamworks.

* * *

A few days later, when Luke came home after being mended, Duke spoke to both him and Ivo Hugh. "I'm sorry I was so uptight about your shunting," he said. "That near miss taught me that even fly-shunting can have its uses."

"Like I said, Granpuff," put in Luke, "it saves time and energy."

"That it does," Duke agreed. "If Ivo Hugh hadn't been so quick-witted, we'd all be fit for the scrap heap!"

"So," ventured Ivo Hugh, "does that mean you won't be cross with us anymore for doing things a little differently?"

"Of course I won't, young'un," smiled Duke kindly. "Just as long as you do it with the utmost care. And I simply won't stand fly-shunting trucks into gunpowder vans!" he went on grandly. "That would never..."

"Suit His Grace!" finished Luke.

"Same old Granpuff!" grinned Ivo Hugh, and everyone burst out laughing - even Duke.


End file.
